side saddle gas tank recall?

[lap15]

Originally Posted by malibusswagon

nobody bought dodge trucks

even better point!!!!!!

[Cue-Ball]

These trucks have no ABS. They have no traction control. They were designed without crumple zones (hoods have been known to go INTO the cabin during an impact). The doors can easily fly open (or jam shut) in a collision. They've got no airbags. They've got no headrests (greatly increasing the likelihood of concussion or whiplash in a crash). Center passengers have no shoulder belt. The lower dash is made of metal with no impact padding. The steering wheels are thin, metal reinforced, and non-padded.

The risk of being caught in a vehicle fire is really the least of your worries if you're driving one of these old trucks. Frankly, if you are at all concerned about safety you are driving the wrong vehicle.

[Rich84]

Jeezz..I'm almost afraid to drive my truck home...LOL

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by Cue-Ball

These trucks have no ABS. They have no traction control. They were designed without crumple zones (hoods have been known to go INTO the cabin during an impact). The doors can easily fly open (or jam shut) in a collision. They've got no airbags. They've got no headrests (greatly increasing the likelihood of concussion or whiplash in a crash). Center passengers have no shoulder belt. The lower dash is made of metal with no impact padding. The steering wheels are thin, metal reinforced, and non-padded.

The risk of being caught in a vehicle fire is really the least of your worries if you're driving one of these old trucks. Frankly, if you are at all concerned about safety you are driving the wrong vehicle.

Just about true of any old car, and I still drive them everyday without hesitation. Never was a big fan of all the safety stuff anyway.

[hopelessredneck]

possible stupid question dose anyone make a plastic version of our tanks to avoid difference of opinion on the safety factor

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by hopelessredneck

possible stupid question dose anyone make a plastic version of our tanks to avoid difference of opinion on the safety factor

Not a direct answer, but possibly? I say that because I bought a plastic replacement tank for my 72 blazer, so I would think there are plastic versions for the pickups too.

It's been many years and I can't remember where I bought it, but I'm sure a little digging would turn up some places.

[x ReAcT x]

I think its hilarious how easy it is to sway public opinion with these hoax crash tests. My family has been driving GM vehicles for generations and never have we ever had any issues. We have been able to well over 200,000 miles on anything we have ever owned, and my fathers 86 which i just inherited has 316,153 on the clock. In my opinion i think GM engineers the best highest quality vehicles. And this post reminds me, now they are trying to pick on the Chevrolet Volt because a crashed volt caught fire weeks after it was used in a test, give me a break. And the other day i was looking through a stack of old magazines and managed to find one of the consumer reports from a couple years ago and i thought it was odd that the Pontiac Vibe recieved a lower initial quality score, satisfaction ratio as well as the overall rating but the Toyota Matrix managed to recieved the best possible customer satisfaction rating, quality rating and overall score. (not to mention it was one of the reccommended compact car of the year) Now these vehicles were produced through a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota called NUMMI. They were produced on the same assembly line, using the same parts, put together by the same workers; now how the #### did the pontiac get such a low score and people were urged not to buy it because of its quality problems.... Thats why i dont read the consumer reports anymore they are all opinion based, has nothing to do with engineering or quality. Now i know i deviated from the original post but this kind of stuff irriates me. Ill end my rant now.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by x ReAcT x

I think its hilarious how easy it is to sway public opinion with these hoax crash tests. My family has been driving GM vehicles for generations and never have we ever had any issues. We have been able to well over 200,000 miles on anything we have ever owned, and my fathers 86 which i just inherited has 316,153 on the clock. In my opinion i think GM engineers the best highest quality vehicles. And this post reminds me, now they are trying to pick on the Chevrolet Volt because a crashed volt caught fire weeks after it was used in a test, give me a break. And the other day i was looking through a stack of old magazines and managed to find one of the consumer reports from a couple years ago and i thought it was odd that the Pontiac Vibe recieved a lower initial quality score, satisfaction ratio as well as the overall rating but the Toyota Matrix managed to recieved the best possible customer satisfaction rating, quality rating and overall score. (not to mention it was one of the reccommended compact car of the year) Now these vehicles were produced through a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota called NUMMI. They were produced on the same assembly line, using the same parts, put together by the same workers; now how the #### did the pontiac get such a low score and people were urged not to buy it because of its quality problems.... Thats why i dont read the consumer reports anymore they are all opinion based, has nothing to do with engineering or quality. Now i know i deviated from the original post but this kind of stuff irriates me. Ill end my rant now.

Not at all. I enjoy hearing this stuff. Good information.

I've never paid attention to any consumer report or public opinion when it comes to buying cars. I'm still driving 40+ year old cars everyday

[kwin]

Interestingly, NBC did a phony crash test that they broadcasted on television where they secretly rigged up an old Chevy pickup with an explosive attached to the side saddle tank and tried to demonstrate that Chevy trucks were unsafe. They were eventually outed by someone knowledgeable about the "testing" methods and issued an apology. This makes me have very little regard for their "reporting" integrity.



The fact that the tests were rigged came to light when their footage was analyzed frame by frame. They determined that the truck in question caught fire /exploded mili seconds before the actual impact. It was rigged for tv.

Keith

[kwin]

Anyone who is not longer comfortable driving their square.....I'd be happy to take them!

[x ReAcT x]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interestingly, NBC did a phony crash test that they broadcasted on television where they secretly rigged up an old Chevy pickup with an explosive attached to the side saddle tank and tried to demonstrate that Chevy trucks were unsafe. They were eventually outed by someone knowledgeable about the "testing" methods and issued an apology. This makes me have very little regard for their "reporting" integrity.



The fact that the tests were rigged came to light when their footage was analyzed frame by frame. They determined that the truck in question caught fire /exploded mili seconds before the actual impact. It was rigged for tv.

Keith

Who was the genius that managed to think that one up? Probably one of the fools from toyota haha

[Keith Seymore]

Found this while looking for something else:

[tucsonjwt]

I don't think anyone knows who thought up the rigged test - at least nobody owned up to it. Likely the show producers arranged the bogus test, but they are, of course, "objective journalists", so they are exempt from the standards of mere mortals. I think they are now doing hard hitting real reporting on global warming (which was called "climate change" a couple of winters ago when the weather was really cold.)

[100%Chevy]

Looks like I'm doomed to a fiery death!(maybe someday!)
I've bought several new 73/87 trucks over the years.Still have the 82 I bought new(somewhere near 300,000 miles)with dual tanks.
Put 123,000 miles on my wifes 71 Pinto.
As well as drove a 73/87 company truck for over 10 years.
Plus,I have several mid-60's Chevys with the rear fill tanks.
And,I smoke!In my 68,C-10 too!
Could someone define dangerous and calculate the odds?
Mike./

[lap15]

Yeah, how did any of us survive in these trucks?
We should all be dead without any of this safety crap!

[Goldfinger]

I'll take my brick to a tin can anyday

[Billett]

That article was an awesome read. Thanks for posting that.